Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-21
PoLlcEMEN's ODD TRICKS
One Poor Fellows MiStake-Out Of a
Bad SCrape with Flying Colors.

One Poor Fellows MiStake-Out Of a
Bad scrHPc with Flying Colors.
After saluting his superior officers the
patrolman, evidently much relieved, re-
joined the reporter, remarking that he
had probably seen the last Of them for
that tour at least
Il have been in this precinct several
years, he continued. GiauClug at the blue
stripe on his sleeve. 'dmd have been tOrtu-
nate in having had hut few complaints
before the commissioners There Is a
good deal Of luck in this; some men are
dismissed, il often seems. Tor what others ;
are fined days pay Tor. The rules of
the department are, in the letter, 80 strict
that a man may get a paper from "A
cranky rOundSman for stopping a couple
Of minutes Ia talk to citizen. hrlug a foot
or two oil post, not pali"iimE 10 the right
or for some tritiiug Leach OF Il seemingly
unimportant regulation.
II remember the case Of one poor fellow
who WAS broke for doing what hc supposed
To be right His post was AT the limit nt
the precinct, and one night he w:'S sum
monci Ia the u IiOiniug one hy word That
a desperate fight was in progress there
Invest igatipn brought 10 Hight simply
war Of words between two families resi-
dent III the same tenement house. The
rOundSman caught him and the commits
SioncrS Ccu~urcd him romdly for being Oft
his beat Not long aftcrwari what h" he
licvcd to he "A similar case occurred and lac
declined 10 leave the precinct This tim"
il proved To he murder and ne was DIS
charged for dcrcliCtiun of duty.
Il remember little episode which Oc-
Cured last winter in which TWO policemen
came out Of a bad scrape with dying col
DrS. l. WIS a very cold night, or raihCr
morning. aud having seen their rounds,
they thought the way clear for Il little rest.
So they hiC,l To livery stable on one man :
post and adjacent To that Of the other and
were soon asleep in its warm Office. An
hour or - later their ~lumberS were rUdcly
broken 10y a rOundsman's rap, sounding
lear and loud from the next corner. W NAT
70 DO WAS the question. One thing WAS
eertan-thcy must remain under cover
While the rOund>man was in sight. After
minutes which seemed hours their Supe-
1prior disappeared down the beat SPiE-
NJ two sets of harness the patrolmen left
the stable, and, running TO the station
nouSe, deposited their burden before the
iesk. Their explanation was clever,
though somewhat far from the facts.
'Patr"lman No. told the sergeant that
he had seen n man i'll the distance carry
ing load and acting suspiciOusly. Rap
uing for assistance, patrolman No. 2joincd
him and they pursued the fugitive, who
dropped his burden and ran 50 fast that
ewing to his long start he escaped. inthe
pursuit they found the two sets of harness,
which presumably had been stolen. At
this iunCturc the roundSmau came in pre-
pared TO report the absence from post of
the two dclinquents. but their story stood
the test, and they did not have 10 repeat It
10 the commissioners. Next day the liy
cry stable keeper, having been posted duly,
reported his loss, recovered his property
and warmly cOmpimented the efficient
New York World